Trumbull State Representative Judges Cooking Competition

TRUMBULL, CT — Trumbull state Rep. David Rutigliano, a Republican who represents Connecticut's 123rd House District, served as a judge last week in the latest Connecticut ProStart Invitational competition for high school students interested in the culinary industry.

The annual event is sponsored by the charitable arm of the Connecticut Restaurant Association at Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford.

The winners of the annual ProStart scholarship competition this year were students from Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven.

"ProStart is the two-year career-building program for high school students," said Rutigliano in a statement. He has served as the President of the CT ProStart program for the last seven years."Whether students are looking to enter the job market directly after graduating, or if they plan to attend college, a ProStart student makes a solid candidate for success. I applaud all the hard work and dedication that these students have put in over the past year, I witnessed some amazing work today."

ProStart is a two-year culinary and management program for high school students, which gives them a platform to discover new interests and talents to open doors for fulfilling careers in the culinary industry. The curriculum includes all facets of the industry and sets a high standard of excellence for students and the industry.

ProStart students spend two years in the classroom mastering the fundamental management and culinary skills needed for success. The program trains students on industry-specific skills that can be used in all aspects of the restaurant and food service industry.

Students also leave the program with employability skills – like leadership, accountability, teamwork and responsibility – that they can take with them to positions in all industries. ProStart also awards scholarships to some finalist in the Connecticut state competition.